The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-02-25
AGAINST The VETO.

The House Committee Urges the Passage
of gthe Dependent Pension Bill in Spite
of the Presidents yeto-Reasons fer Its
Action.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-In the House
Saturday Mr. Matson (Ind.), from
the Committee on Invalid Pension4
reported back the Dependent Pension
bill with the Presidents veto message
thereon. He asked that the report be
printed in the Record and gave notice that
he would call the bill up for action on
Thursday next.
The report states that two facts will arrest
the attention of any one who reads the Presi
dents message. The first Is tAat no objection
is made to the bill on any ground of its consti-
nationality, or the right of Congress to enact the
law is not questioned. The other is that the
first section of the bill is not touched
upon by the message and no intimation is given
by the President as to whether that section of
itself, embodying, as it does, an independent
proposition and in the precise form specifically
urged by the Secretary of the Interior in his
last annual report, meets with his approval or
disapproval. The committee then analyses
the objection of the President that the bill is
vague in its provisions in that it might apply
to various grades of disability or dependency
and submits to the Judgment of the House and
country that those who framed the bill after
months of careful consideration have made no
mistake and have confined the bill to one class,
and that class can be well defined as consisting
of those totally disabled og dependent on their
daily labor for support.
I'VE regard" says the committee, the
strained Interpretation put on the bill in the
message as an excuse rather than reason for
returning it to the House, and believe we do no
injustice to the Executive, when considering
the whole message, TO say that if its provisions
had been palmer and no question could have
been raised as to whether it included only those
unable to labor he would have interposed his
objection.
1T passes the comprehension of this commit
tee to understand how the President could have
| overlooked in another bill (the Mexican Pen
sion bilI what alleged faults in this bill.
| Such distinction made by the acts of the Presi-
| dent the committee can not believe will be in
dorsed anywhere by the patriotic sentiment of
| this country"
Referring to the expenditures of money which
| the enactment of this bill into law would neces-
| state, the committee contends that the esti-
mate of the President is extravagant, but says
| that no consideration of possible cost shall be
allowed to come between dependent
| soldiers and relief they are entitled to receive
| from the country which they helped to save.
Reducing the whole question to one of money
| expediency, it seemed to the committee that
| the surplus in the treasury can be restored to
| the people in the manner proposed in the bill.
| No bonded interest or huge monopoly
| could claim the money for its own. 1t would go
| to the people in small amounts and would cir
culate among them. The bill has been asked
| for on every hand. Protests against it had only
| come from money centers where all the money
| that did not turn their mill was considered as
| worse than wasted.
| In conclusion the committee says that 1t is
| 10th 10 believe that the people of the country
| object to relieving the wants q the men who
| defended the Nation, and that an error on the
! side of mercy is preferable to too rigid econ
omy. The committee ends its report by rec
| ommending the passage of the bill over the
! Presidents veto.
Unless number of Congressman can be
won over before Thursday, there Is no
chance of passing the Dependent Pension
| bill over the Presidents veto.